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` UNITED y STATES PATENT EEIcE.

NVILLIAM S. KELLEY, OF SMITHVILLE, NEVV- JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE H. B. SMITH MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

WIRE sPoKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 292,562, dated January 29, 1884.

Application led May 13, 155i.

To @ZZ whom. z' Hwy concern:

Be it yknown that LVVILLIAM S. KELLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Smithville, in the county of Burlington, State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of NVire Spokes, Which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification andl accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of spoke-mak ing machinery embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a front view enlarged -of the draw-plate. Fig. 4. is an end view thereof.l Fig. 5is a section in line x, Fig. 3. Figs. 6 and 7 are views of the spokes as produced.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention relates to improvements in spokes for vehicle-wheels and machinery for making the same.

The objects of the invention are, first, to produce a` spoke maintaining all of the natural strength of the material of which it is composed; and, second, to .provide means for readily and uniformly producing the spoke.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the double butt-ended spoke embodying my invention, which may be formed of steel, brass, tc., the same having the ends a thicker than the main length b of the spoke, said ends being the original thickness of the wire, the

- length b being reduced by drawing or other suitable means. One end is screw-threaded, so as to be fitted to the hub, and the other head will be headed on the tire, it being seen that I produce a simple, durable, and inexpensive spoke, which Vadvantages exist in the wheel. The reduction of the body Z of the spoke does not destroy the strength of the material of which said length or body is composed, and the ends of the spoke being of greater thickness, are admirably adapted for connection with the hub and tire ofthe wheel. Furthermore, spokes having the features hereinbefore set forth may be readily produced uniform in all respects.

B represents a divided. draw-plate formed of two blocks of steel or other suitable metal, on

(No model .i

the inner face of which is formed the half of a draw-opening, C C, (one or more) the comA plete opening being of conical form for -the wire to be drawn. The two blocks or sections of the plate are connected by springs D D,

.the table G of the machine which makes the spokes. t

H represents the frame of said machine, and J the driving-shaft, which is provided with a clutch, l. one part of which is connected to the pinion L, which is mounted loosely on said shaft J. Gearing with said pinion L is a spurwheel, M, whose shaft is mounted on the frame H, and carries a drum, N, which projects partly above the table G, and has secured to it the cord or chain I, with which the tongs Q are connected, the spur-wheel M having a portion of its periphery untoothed, being what is known as a mutilated wheel. It will be noticed that the periphery ofthe drum N and the chain P are in a line coinciding with the longitudinal direction of the opening C of the draw-plate, and that the clutch l is operated by a treadle, R, or other convenient means.

Rising from the table is a cutter, S, andjournaled to said table is a screw, T, which 1s fitlted to an car or boss, T', on the housing or frame F of the draw-plate, whereby the latter may be adjusted to different lengths of spokes to be formed.

The operation is as follows: rllhe wire to be converted into spokes is preferably run from a rcel and a piece of proper length cut therefrom. The draw-plateis opened and the wire introduced into the opening C, the end ofthe wire toward the tongsy protruding from the draw-plate sufficiently to leave the length of one end, a, ofthe spoke, the draw-plate being closed by the screw F, and said end of the wire grasped by the tongs. The clutch is now operated, and the power applied to the shaft J causes the wheel M to be rotated, and the drum N then winds the chain l?, whereby the Wire is drawn through the plete, thus forming the reduced part b of the spoke. As soon as the nntoothed part of the wheel M reaches the pinion L the former is rendered inoperative, whereby the winding of the chain is immediately stopped and the drawing of the Wire ceases, thus leaving the remaining ength of the wire undisturbed, whereby the opposite end, a, of the spoke is produced. rlhe clutch is operated as soon as the Wheel M is stopped, whereby the pinion L is free to permit the chain to be run back, iu order that the tongs may grasp a fresh piece of wire, the Wheel M` returning to its irst position. When a l'rcsh piece of wire is eut and the draw-pletes are opened, said piece is introduced into the openings C, the plates are closed, the Wire is grasped by the tongs, the treadle R operated, and the clutch engaged, whereby the wheel M is again rotated, so that the piece of wire is drawn, and

by the other manipulations another spoke is produced. The operations are repeated, the result being spokes of uniform dimensions.

It is evident that for the purpose of opening or separating the blocks of the draw-plate the screw E may be swiveled to one ofthe blocks, close the plate it may also move one block from the other, and thus open the plate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, s-

A double butt-ended Wire-drawn spoke attenuated between the butts by supplementary die-drawing, in eontradistinetion to a spoke butt-ended by upsetting the ends or by 1naking the butt-ends of separate pieces, and presenting continuously throughout the fiber unbroken found in the wire from which it has been made.

BENJN. NAAR, Jr., E. F. BURNS.

so that while the screw is 'employed to 

